Collapsible cot



A. G. THAYER COLLAPSIBLE COT July 28, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1949 A. G. THAYER COLLAPSIBLE COT flul 28, 1953 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1949 Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE COT Arthur G. Thayer, Rossford, Ohio Application November 4, 1949, Serial No. 125,421

7 Claims. (01. 114) This invention relates broadly to collapsible furniture and more particularly to an improved collapsible bed or cot of the type generally employed for camping purposes or for semi-permanent lodging accommodations.

Generally stated, the invention is concerned with the provision of a cot embodying a novel and improved collapsible frame which is characterized by the strength and simplicity of its associated members and the relation of their articulate movement and assembly into a rigid, though lightweight, structure. One common objection to collapsible furniture generally is its tendency to become weak and rickety through use and, more particularly, through continued assembly and disassembly into and from erected form. And since these constructions have depended upon the interfitting of one part with another to obtain a stable framework, the weakening of the component parts in their related positioning and movement eventually creates a condition of great annoyance and complication. To insure against this possibility, various braces and reinforcements are often added until the mode of operation in setting up the furniture and its subsequent handling is both lengthy and burdensome. Now, the collapsible frame herein provided overcomes these difficulties by being composed of comparatively few parts which require only a minimum of time and effort to assemble into a cot structure and to disassemble when its use is no longer required. Also, by reason of the arrangement of the several parts of the frame, the same can be folded into a compact unit for handling or storage.

It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide a collapsible cot having a separable frame that is characterized by its rigidity and lightweight; the component parts of the frame being so associated with one another as to minimize their interrelated movements during assembly and disassembly.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a frame for a collapsible cot which may be assembled from separable parts with a minimum of time and effort and which is capable of relative movement between its ends to compensate for irregularities of the supporting surface without loss of rigidity.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a separable or collapsible frame for a cot of the above character. which, during. the assembly of its component parts, acts to stretch the covering material and thereby provide a condition and held from sagging.

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weight-sustaining surface that is kept in a taut Another object of the invention is the provision of a separable frame for a cot of the above character which includes corner bracket members and side and end railsv so associated and interrelated with one another as to effect assembly and disassembly of the frame into and from a rigid supporting structure and from which the said rails may be disconnected for cleaning purposes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a corner bracket member for a cot frame which is adapted to receive and secure the related side and end frame rails against separation or accidental loosening; the corner bracket members having locking means which are quickly and ,easily movable to release said frame rails without bodily separating the various members from one another. I

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cot frame of light tubular metal sections which are joined at their ends to effect a rigid framework and which, in conjunction with the covering material, are adapted to sustain reasonable loads without weakening and to be reducible into a compact unit when the framework is collapsed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible cot constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the frame of the cot in collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cot;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the cot substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the corner bracket member shown at the right endof the cot in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the corner bracket member shown at the left end of the cot in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the corner bracket member illustrated in Fig. 6, showing the side rail of the frame separated therefrom;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section ofv the corner bracket member shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective View of the cot in partially erected position; and

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a' modiiiedtype of side rail.

With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a collapsible cot constructed in accordance with the invention and which is designated in its entirety by the numeral Id. The cot It! generally comprises a covering ll of any suitable strong, durable material, such as canvas, which constitutes the body sustaining portion of the cot, and a frame structure designated in its'entirety by the numeral 12 and by which the covering is supported and held taut. The covering H, as herein shown, is provided with sleeves or elongated loops [3 and I4 extending along the sides and ends thereof and which may be formed in the usual manner by folding over the marginal portions of the material and stitching, or otherwise afiixing, the same to the body of the covering parallel to the folds. Preferably, the edges of the covering l I throughout its entire perimeter, and particularly in the notched corner areas l5 created between the side and end loops I3 and M, are reenforced by suitable tape or binding to prevent raveling or weakening of the cloth edges.

The frame structure I! is substantially rectangular in plan and is comprised of side rails l1 and end rails l8 which are connected with each other at their adjacent ends and'with the vertically disposed legs L! by means of corner bracket members and 2|. If desired, the lower ends of the legs may be closed by plugs 22 which provide caster surfaces. As will be noted, the rails I! and I8 and the legs I9 are of a tubular construction; further, they are of a material which is light in weight and yet will afford a maximum strength factor determinable by the wall thickness of the tubing. By way of example, such materials as thin wall alloy steel tubing or relatively thicker walled aluminum or magnesium tubing may be advantageously employed.

The corner brackets 29 and 2| are substantially of a right angle form and have end extensions 24 and 25, the end 24 of the bracket being directed toward, or in the direction of a side or" the cot while the end 25 is directed in alignment with an end thereof. As will be more fully hereinafter described, corner brackets 29 and 2! are arranged in diagonally opposite pairs, with the brackets of each pair being formed to coact with the side and end rails I1 and I8 respectively. Thus, the end 24 of each bracket is adapted to receive an end of a side rail ll while the end 25 of the bracket will receive one end of an end rail I8.

Each corner bracket 2!] and 2! is provided with a socket 26 for receiving the end of a leg [9. This socket is disposed at substantially the juncture of the end extensions 24 and 25 and, more particularly, in alignment with the end extension 24. After the upper end 21 of the leg 19 has been located in the socket 26, a drilled opening is made through the bracket and the leg for the insertion of a rivet 28 whereby said leg becomes, in effect, an integral part of the bracket.

As will be best seen in Fig. 4, the end extension 24 of each corner bracket 29 and 2| is formed to provide an elongated chamber 29 having substantially vertically disposed side walls 30 and a semicircular top wall 3| joining said side walls. The curvature of the top wall 3| is such as to correspond to the annular surface of the side rail l7 and, if desired, the adjacent end of the rail within the chamber 29 may be rounded off as indicated at 33. The side rail is pivotally carried within chamber 29 of corner bracket 20 by means of a pin 34 extending through the rail and chamber walls 30 and having the outer ends thereof upset 7 in Fig. 4, it is retained within the chamber 29 by means of a spring latch, indicated generally at 3%. This latch may comprise a strip of spring steel 31 anchored at its inner end by the headed end 35 of pin 34 to the side of the corner bracket and carrying at its opposite end a peg 38 that operates as a retractable bolt and is normally received in a hole 39 provided in the adjoining wall 30 of the chamber 29. Adapted to register with the hole 39 is an opening 49in the wall of the side rail l1 and through which the bolt 38 pro jects to secure the rail to the corner bracket. The assembly of the side rail with the corner bracket is facilitated by reason of the fact that the tubu lar rail will engage the spherical end M of the bolt 35 and depress the same, causing the spring strip 31 to flex outwardly until the spherical end 4! enters the opening 4i] whereupon the elasticity of the strip will thrust the bolt inwardly to, rigidly secure the rail H in the chamber 29 and from further pivotal or swinging movement.

This invention also contemplates the provision of means for releasing one end of each siderail ll from its associated bracket in order that the covering H can be located thereon, by insertion of said rail through a side loop 13, or subsequently removed for cleaning or replacement. For this purpose, the end 42 of each side rail I! is, as illustrated at the left end in Fig. 4, supported in the chamber 29 of corner bracket 2| by means of a removable pin 43 having an enlarged head 44 provided with an annular groove 45. Preferably, the length of the shank d6 of pin 43 is such as to permit insertion thereof through one wall 30 of the chamber 29 and the walls of the tubular rail I? but not outwardly of the second wall 30 as'to undesirably protrude beyond the surface of the bracket.

The pin 43 is retained in place by a modified type of spring latch 36 that accomplishes a dual function. As will be noted in Figs. 6, '1 and 8, this latch comprises a spring strip 41 so formed that it will operate to lock the rail l'l against pivotal movement on the pin 43 and simultaneously lock said pin against accidental displacement from its engagement with the rail. Accordingly, the strip 41 is pivotally supported at one end on the shoulder 48 of a step washer 49 which is carried by the leg rivet 28 and positioned against the inner wall surface of the bracket 2|. j The strip 41 is held upon the step washer by the headed portion 50 of said rivet. The strip 41 is provided with a notch 5| substantially midway between its pivotally supported inner end and its free outer end 52. At its outer end, the strip has aifixed thereto a peg or latch bolt 53 normally located in the hole 39 in the wall 30 of the corner bracket and extending through the registering opening 40 in the wall of the side rail.

As shown ll'l'Flg. 7, when the spring strip 4'! is to be swung from the position shown in broken lines to a position such as is shown in full lines to permit removal of the pin 43, the outer end 52 of the strip is moved outwardly to Withdraw the 'latch bolt 53 from the hole 39 and opening 40. The strip can now be swung upwardly upon the rivet 28 to remove the notch 5! from engagement with the annular groove 45 in the head 45 of pin 43. The side rail Il may now be withdrawn from the chamber 29 of the corner bracket 2!. Since the corner brackets 2| are located at diagonal corners of the frame I2, the, operation may be duplicated at the other bracket 2| and the covering II completely removed from both of the side rails for cleaning or replacement.

The side rails ll of the cot II] are each formed of two aligning tubular sections 54 and 55 which are freely separable from one another to permit disassembly and folding of the'cot. The interconnection between the sections 54 and 55 includes a tapered-end pin 56 that is secured in the tubular section 53 and insertable into the adjacent end of section 55. One method of securing the pin, other than threading or welding, comprises tapering the pin at a point near one end to provide a shoulder 51 and, after inserting said pin into the tubular section 54, forcing the tube wall inwardly as at 58 so as to positively engage the shoulder and firmly hold the pin in place.

In order to permit the pin 56 to be withdrawn from the end of rail section 55 suficiently to allow placing of the rail sections substantially side by side as in Fig. 2 when the cot is collapsed, there is provided a cable or wire 59 secured at one end to the pin 56. The pin 56 is centrally and longitudinally drilled, and the .cable extends therethrough, with the free end thereof knotted or otherwise formed, as at 60, toprevent its escape. The opposite end of this cable is connected as by a loop 6| to one end of a light coil spring 62 in rail section 55. The opposite end of the spring is anchored, as shown in Fig. 4, to a pin 53, the

ends of which are riveted into the walls of the rail section 55 at a point close to the location of the support pin 43. In the contemplated use of the cable 59, the spring 62 acts to take up or reduce any slack in the cable and maintain it substantially taut when the rail sections are aligned and interconnected by the pin 56 to form the side I rail I1. When the rail I1 i removed in its entirety from its corner bracket 2|, as previously described, the rail sections 54 and 55 may or may not be separated and the cable normally will be maintained in a taut condition.

The tubular rails I8, which constitute the end members of the cot I0, cooperate with the side rails I1 to impose the required lateral and lengthwise tension upon the covering II to desirably stretch it into a weight sustaining surface and are located in the end loops I4 of the covering. The end rails l3 are associated with the corner brackets2ll and 2 I, and particularly the end extensions thereof, in a manner that allows pivotal movement of each rail at one end and relative to one bracket such as the bracket 20, when the opposite end of said rail is separated from its other corner bracket such as bracket 2!. The covering I I may thus be in an extremely loose condition throughout its expanse When the end rails I8 are disengaged from brackets 2! as shown in Fig. 9.

The pivotally supported end of each end rail I8 is carried by the corner bracket 25 in substantially the same manner as the ends of the side rails II previously described. That is to say, the end rail I8 is so associated with the bracket 25 that it can be locked in a position of alignment withthe end extension 25 or it may be released so as to swing into a position generally parallel with the leg II) which is rigidly secured in the bracket. This feature of th invention is clearly shown in Fig. 2 wherein the tubular sections 54 and of on side rail IT, a leg I9and one end rail I8 are folded to provide a neat, compact arrangement. I

- The corner bracket 2!! has provided in its end extension 25, a chamber 64, similar to the chamber 29 in the end extension 24, and defined by ver tical side walls 65 and an arch 66 joining the walls 55 in their upper areas. The end 61 of the end rail I8 is pivotally supported within the chamber 64 on a pin 68 extending'through the wall of the tubular rail and secured at its ends in the walls 55 of the chamber 64 (Fig. 5). As shown therein, the inner headed end 55 of pin 68 also secures the end of a spring strip 70 which functions, in a similar manner to the strip 37, to afford a spring latch II. The spring strip I0 has a peg or latch bolt I2 secured near its outer end, said bolt having a spherical end I5 and extending through a hole It provided in the inner wall 55 of the chamber 54. The spherical end I3 of bolt I2 protrudes into a registering opening I5 in the Wall of the rail I8 when the end SI of said rail is located axially in the chamber 64. By grasping and raising the outer end It of the strip Iii, the latching relation, effected by the bolt I2, is broken as the said bolt is withdrawn from the opening 15, thereby allowing the rail It to swing freely relative to the corner bracket.

The end extension 25 of each corner bracket 2I is provided with a socket T! in which the end 78 of the end rail I8 is loosely received as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The inner end I9 of the socket serves to engage the end of the rail which is directed into the socket through an entry slot 8!! formed in the outer portion of the wall 8| bounding the socket. The slot 80 is formed so as to open outwardly from the socket and is located substantially in its horizontal axis. The socket I1 is relatively deeper than the length of the slot to receive the rail end I8. By s-o forming this slot, the rail may be easily inserted in the socket and may be moved inwardly until the end I8 thereof engages the inner end 19 of said socket. Likewise, when the rail is so positioned, it will bear against that portion of the socket wall opposite the slot and will be firmly held by the tension or sustained weight borne by the covering II.

When the cot is to be knocked down or collapsed from the erected structure seen in Fig. 1, the spring latches 35 and 4? at one end of the cot, which lock the side rails II against movement relative to the opposite corner brackets 20 and 2| respectively, are disengaged from the side rails sothat the brackets may be swung upon pins 54 and as to bring the legs I9 substantially parallel to the side rails. After repeating this operation at the opposite end of the cot, the side rails I? at one end are moved outwardly away from one another against the tension of the covering II sufiiciently to allow the end I8 of one end rail I5 to be removed from the socket II. of the associated bracket 2I. This rail may now be released by its related spring latch II so that it can be swung toward the leg I9. When the opposite end rail I8 has been similarly removed from its associated bracket 2| and the pivoted end thereof released by the latch II in the bracket 29, the cot will generally assume an appearance as shown in Fig. 9 in which one end is illustrated with the supporting legs IQ of the corner brackets 29 andZI positioned substantially parallel with the side rails II. By

forcing the material of the side loops l3 alon the side rails from each end and towards the center, sufficient slack will be developed to permit separation of the sections 54 and 55 of each rail whereupon one end of the cot generally may be folded over onto the other. The covering H may now be gathered between and around the folded sections of the side rails and the cot reduced to a neat, compact unit for storage.

When setting up the cot, the above procedure is of course reversed and after straightening the covering II, the sections and 55 of the side rails I l are unfolded and aligned so that the pins 56 may again unite said tubular sections 54 and 55 into a unitary rail. After swinging the end rails is into locked position with reference to their associated corner brackets 20, the free ends thereof are replaced in the sockets 11 of the neighboring corner brackets 21. The weight supporting surface of the cot, as afforded by the cover cloth I I, is now fully stretched both laterally and lengthwise and will remain in a state of desirable tension. The legs H], in each corner, are now swung to carry the brackets 20 and 2| into a locking relation with the side rails H as effected by the spring latches 36.

In the event the cot is set up or rests upon a surface that is not regular or even and which normally would cause the cot to sag at one or more corners, the frame I2 is permitted a certain degree of relative movement between its component parts whereby the corners formed by the brackets 20 and 2| and supported by the legs l9 may shift relative to each other until the legs are in firm supporting engagement with the surface such as the ground or floor. Since the side rails ll of the frame are composed of at least two sections, each of these sections is free to move angularly with respect to the other and sufiiciently to overcome any tendency toward twisting or warpage. Also, since one end of each end rail I8 is freely received in the socket ll of each bracket 2 l this further increases the adaptability of the frame to become and remain stationary on an uneven surface.

When it is desired to remove the cover cloth II, or to initially place the same on the rails of the frame, the ends of the rails I! are disconnected from the corner brackets 2| by removal of the pins 43. As previously described,

these pins are locked in place by the engagement of the notch 5! of the spring strip 41 with the groove 45 in the head 44 of the pin. Thus, by releasing the strip and swinging it to a position, as shown in Fig. 7, the pin 43 may be removed and the end 42 of the side rail withdrawn from the bracket.

In a slightly modified construction shown in Fig. 10, the pin 82, corresponding to pin 56 above described and connecting the sections 54 and 55 of the side rail, is slotted as at 83 and cross drilled as at 84 to receive a pin 85. The end of a cable 86 is formed in a loop 81 which receives the pin 85. The opposite end of the cable is provided with a loop for connection to one end of the spring 62 which, in the modified form, is attached at its opposite end to the supporting pin 88 for the rail IT. This pin 68 is permanently secured in the walls of the corner bracket. Consequently, when the cover cloth II is to be removed, the pin 85 is driven from the hole 84 in the pin 82 to release the cable loop 81 whereupon the sections 54 and 55 of the side rail can be pulled from the opposite ends of the side loops [3. 7 While the side rails of the frame l2 have heretofore been described as being constructed in two sections, namely, the sections 54 and 55, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide a side rail of three or more separable sections associated with one another in the manner above described. By providing at least three sections for the side rail, it becomes possible to establish as rigid a side rail and at the same time materially lengthen the cot frame, or make provision for fore-shortening the cot, when collapsed, into a unit of shorter dimension.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame and a taut weight sustaining covering carried thereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at the corners of the frame supporting the adjacent ends of the rails, supporting legs secured to the bracket members, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of the side rails to the respective bracket members to enable swinging movement of the rails and bracket members relative to one another when it is desired to fold the frame, means for locking the side rails and bracket members against such relative swinging movement when the frame is in erected position, means for pivotally connecting one end of each end rail to a bracket member for swinging movement relative thereto upon folding of the frame, and means carried by the opposed bracket member for loosely supporting the opposite end of the end rail when the frame is erected.

2. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame and a taut weight sustaining covering carried thereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at .the corners of the frame interconnecting the adjacent ends of said rails, supporting legs secured to the bracket members, means for hingedly connecting the rails to the bracket members for swinging movement relative to one another when it is desired to fold the frame into collapsed form, means for locking said bracket members and rails against such relative swinging movement when the frame is in erected position, means for enabling release of the side and end rails from certain of said bracket members for removal or replacement of the covering, each side rail including a pair of separable tubular sections arranged end to end in alignment with and abutting one another, an aligning pin secured in one section and projecting loosely into the adjacent end of the other section, and spring means normally acting to draw said pin into said second section to maintain the said sections in aligned abutting relation.

3. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame and a taut weight sustaining covering carried thereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at the corners of the frame interconnecting the adjacent ends of the rails, supporting legs secured to the bracket members, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of the side rails to the respective bracket members to enable relative swinging movement of the side rails and bracket members when it is desired to fold the frame, means for locking said side rails against swinging movement when the frame is in erected position, each side rail comprising a pair of tubular sections arranged in alignment with and abutting one another, means carried in one section and loosely received in the adjacent end of the other section for securing said sections to-- gether, each of the end rails being pivotally connected at one end to a bracket member and freely supported at its other end in the opposite bracket member, means for locking said end rails against swinging movement when the frame is in erected position, and means for enabling release of the side rails from certain of the bracket members for removal or replacement of the covering.

4. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame andataut weight sustaining covering carried thereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at the corners of the frame'supporting adjacent ends of the rails, supporting legs secured to the bracket members, means pivotally connecting the opposite ends of the side rails to their respective bracket members to enable swinging movement of the rails and bracket members relative to one another when it is desired to fold the frame, means for locking the side rails and bracket members against such relative swinging movement when the frame is in erected position, means for enabling release of one end of each of the side rails from its pivotal connection with its respective bracket member for removal or replacement of the covering, means for pivotally connecting one end of each end rail to a bracket member for swinging movement relative thereto upon folding of the frame, and means carried by the opposed bracket member for loosely supporting the opposite end of the end rail when the frame is erected.

5. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame and a taut weight sustaining covering carriedthereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at the corners of the frame supporting the adjacent ends of the rails supporting legs secured to the bracket members and extending perpendicularly downwardly therefrom, means pivotally connecting the bracket members and the opposite ends of the side rails for swinging movement of the supporting legs into parallel relation with said side rails, means pivotally connecting one end of each of the end rails to its respective bracket member,

and means loosely supporting the opposite end of each of the end rails from its respective bracket member to permitswinging movement of each of the end rails into parallel relation with one of its adjacent side rails and supporting legs.

6. A collapsible cot as described in claim 5, having means for releasing the ends of side rails adjacent the loosely supported ends of the end rails from their pivotal connection with their respective bracket members for removal or replacement of the weight sustaining covering.

7. A collapsible cot embodying a substantially rectangular frame and a taut weight sustaining covering carried thereby, said frame comprising side and end rails, bracket members at the corners of the frame interconnecting the adjacent ends of the rails, supporting legs secured to the bracket members, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of the side rails to the respective bracket members to enable relative swinging movement of the-rails and bracket members when it is desired to fold the frame, each side rail comprising a pair of tubular sections arranged in alignment with and abuttin one another, means carried in one section and loosely received inthe adjacent end of the other section for securing said sections together, each of the end rails being pivotally connected at one end to a'bracket member and freely supported at its other end in the opposite bracket memiber.

ARTHUR G. 'I'I-IAYER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,080,577 Pascale Dec. '9, 1913 1,277,084 Keith Aug. 27, 1918 1,300,621= Key Apr. 15, 1919 1,389,682 Melniker Sept. 6, 1921 1,417,802 Cosper May 30, 1922 2,400,155 Letschert et a1 May 14, 1946 2,545,813 Jackson ...1 Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 43,949 France July 2, 1934 140,530 Austria Feb. 11, 1935 

